Turbine-driven electric-generator set.



APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. I9lfi.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I'- fin 0 .CLL t vw an L z. 0. a 0 5 .w F w, m l l W UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

LOUIS C. LOEWENSTEIN, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK.

TUBBmE-DRIVEN ELECTRIC-GENERATOR SET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed February 12, 1916. Serial No. 77,887.

Electric-Generator Sets. of which the -f0l- ,lowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to turbine driven electric generator sets which are more especially intended for supplying current to headlights for steam locomotives. The object of the invention is to im rove and simplif the construction of suc apparatus, am for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and'my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which are illustrative of one of the embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is an axial section of a turbo-generator; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a combined steam separator and pressureregulator; Fig. 4 is a detail tiew in elevation of a part of the pressure regulator; Fig. 5 is a diagram of the circuit connections of the generator and magnetic brake; and Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 3.

6 indicates the main portion of the frame of the turbo-generator. It is provided with a foot or base 7 that is bolted to some suitable part of the locomotive. The main portion is provided with a vertical disk-like member 8 which forms one wall of the turbine casing, the other wall being .formed by the removable cover 9-. The cover and disk are united by suitable bolts as indicated at 9. Attached to the member 8 is a nozzle 10, Fig. 3 having one or more fluid conveying passages 11 ofrelatively restricted cross-section, but capable of supplying the bucket wheel with enough steam to drive it under full load conditions. Owing to the character of the section the nozzle passage appears to be directed downwardly, but as a matter of fact, the passage is substantially tangential to the wheel, as is usually the 11 indicates the exhaust opening for the turbine, it being formed in the cover 9. Located inside the casing is a rotor comprising disks 12 of sheet metal having inturned edges 12, Fig. 1, that abut to form a hub through whichthe end of shaft 13 passes, there eing anut 14 to hold the rotor on the shaft. The outer edges of the disks are also .inturned to receive and hold the bases 15 of the bucket 16 against which steam from the nozzle impinges. Mounted on the wheel near the shaft and adjacent the casingmember is a fan 17 for preventing or largely reducing theleakage of steam from the casing and around the shaft. Mounted on the outer side of the wheel or rotor is a copper ring 18 that forms part of amagnetic brake. This brake is normally inactive at normal speed, but becomes effective when the speed increases. The ring extends between an annular pole piece 19 formed on the cover and a. second pole piece formed by a disk.20, the latter having a hub which fits into a. hole in the cover and 006 rates with said cover to form a magnetic circuit. Mounted on the hub are coils of wire 21 and 22, Figs. 1 and 5, through which current from the generator passes. C0il..21"is-in series withthe generator and coil 22 in shunt, said coils acting in opposition to each other, or as it is commonly stated, are in bucking relation.

The series coil is so designed with reference to the shunt coil as to completely neutralize the magnetic action of the shunt coil under normal full load conditions. Now, in case a part or all of the load is removed from the generator, the speed of the generator tends to increase thereby causing an increase in the. voltage across the brushes of the generator and an increase in the magnetization of the shunt winding; at the same time. the current in the series coil is decreased The shunt coil, therefore, overpovters the series coil, and sets up a magnetic drag which tends to maintain the speed of the generator substantially. constant. On the other hand, in case of overload. as when one or more lamps are added to the circuit, or in case of short circuit, the

main member 6 is also provided with a houspower output from the turbine, andthe generator is kept at substantially constant speed. To keep moisture away from the coils an annular shield 23 is provided which engages the disk and is centered by a shoulder on the cover. A threaded bolt 24 sufiices to hold the disk, coil, and shield in place.

The right-hand side of the main support 6 is enlar d to form a head to which the field magnetic frame 25 of the compound wound generator is attached by bolts 25. The magnet is provided with suitable pole pieces 26 upon which are the series field 00115 27 and shunt coils 28. 29 indicates the armature and 30 the commutator therefor, the brushes are shown in Fig. 5, but have been omitted from Fig. 1.

ure and is carried by a head 32 that is bolted to the field magnetic frame. In the head is a'ball bearing 33 for the combined turbine and armature shaft. It is held in place by a fiat ring 34 which has alternate projec tions and ooves 35 in bore to prevent lubricant rom passing freely toward the commutator. The bearin and brushes are inclosed by a cover'35'. he left-hand end of the shaft is also su ported in a ball bearing carried by the hu -like extension'on the main member 6. The bearing is held in lace by a ring 36, which in turnis secured y bolts. The ring also has projections and grooves 37 to prevent the free passage of oil from the bearing toward the armature.

The portion of the casing on the opposite.

side of the bearing is provided with alternate projections and grooves to preventthe free passage of lubricant. Any exhaust steam or lubricant escaping throu h the, shaft clearance will pass into the con uit 38 and. thence into the open chamber 39. The

novel arrangement of parts organized to operate in a particular manner. In the first ace, the usualspeed governor is entirel omitted, and a nozzle passage 11 of sue size is chosen that it will permit the required amount of steam to ass at the desired pressurevitbehrgmote that the pressure commonlyused-otr locomotives is materially higher than is necessary for such small turbine outputs as the one under discussion. Furthermore, the, pressures vary widely with changes in load, grade, firing, etc. To' reduce the effects of pressure changes of the source a pressure reducing The brush holder, stud 31 is, however, shown in this latter figsay from 200 lbs. to- 195 lbs. when the normal amount of steam is passing to 'the turbine, but if for any reason a reduction in load on the wheel takes place and alarger quantity of steam tends to flow, the action of the orifice is such as to increase its opposition to said flow until a state of equilibrium is reached wherethe amount of steam passing -through it is somewhat greater than before, but not enough to drive the wheel at a prohibitive or dangerous speed. For example, it may act to reduce the steam pressure to 130 lbs. I This latter condition re-supposes the sticking of the pressure re ucing valve 1 in its open position. As a further precaution a pop-safety valve is provided at some point ad acent the turbine nozzle which is setat say'105 lbs. 'Ordinaril this valve would open if the reducing vs. vs sticks or fails for any cause, but if both valves fail the said orifice will come into service and prevent excessive'speed of the rotor. These valves and orifice member are of th simplest types and hence initially cheap an uire little or no care. By their use I am ab e to do away with the expensive and delicate speed governor which was formerly considered necessary. As these machines are commonly located on top of the locomotive boiler they are relatively inaccessible, and experience has demonstrated thatthey get little or no attention until some part fails to operate, which is, of course, liable to ha pen at a most unfortunate time.

eferring to Fig. 3, 48 indicates the restricted orifice above referred to. It may be located in the housing or in'the ta red member- 49, the latter arrangement ing simpler to make. It opens into the annular groove 50 from which steam flows by the vertical passage or pas ages 51 to the annular groove 52, the la er ,having diagonal ports 53 leading to. the bore of said member. Within the member is a valve 54 hav-.

ing a portion of reduced cross-section and around which steam flows through the ports 55 to the groove 56, the latter admitting steam to the nozzle 10 and to the pop-safet valve 57. Steam from this point is also ad mitted by the passage 58 to the underside of the valve 54 which tends to raise it against the action of the adjustable coiled compres sion spring 59. the valve partially throttles the diagonal Under normal ccmditio'ris ports 53 and the steam pressure under the it from gettin under the piston and ex crting a lifting force thereon; The taperedmember 49 is held in place by arap 65 fastened bv bolts 66.

By the above described arrangement I pmvide a short compact structure and one so arranged that all the parts can be very readily reached for inspection and repair. By removing the cover 9 the turbine-wheel and magnetic brake are accessible and by removing cover 35 the brushes and right hand bearing can be reached. Further, by taking out bolts 25, the magnetic fiame 25 can be removed so that the armature is exposed. The steam separator, the restricted orifice, the reducing valve and the popsafety valve are formed in substantially one integral structure of simple design. By removing cap (55, the tapered member 49,. which carries the orifice and the reducing valve, can be rcmovc-d for cleaning. or repair should it be found necessary.

I n operation steam enters thc.separator by way of pipe 46 and strainer 43. It passes up through stand-pipe 42 and impinges against the deflector i4 which directs it vertically downward. The moisture separates out and escapes by way of pipe 47 while the, steam rises up around the edges of the deflector and by way of re stricted orifice '48, groove 50, passage 51, groove 52, diagonal ports 53, ports 55, and groove ,56 to the nozzle 10. The functioning, of the difi'erent parts of the set has been explained already in connection with the description thereof, and further description is deemed unnecessary.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the prin; ciple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an apparatus of the. character described, the combination of a main frame having a bearing, a shaft in the bearing having an overhung end, a turbine wheel on such end, a cover for the wheel fastened lodbc main frame, and a magnetic brake- .a nozzle fol-directing UUU .for the turbine located between tbevtm'binc wheel and the'covensaid brake comprising relatively movable elements, one of which is fixed and the other carried by the turbine wheel.

In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a main frame -having a bearing, a'shaft in the bearing' having an overhung end, a turbine wheel on such end, a cover for the wheel fastened to the main fran'ie, a magnetic brake for the. turbine located between the turbine wl'ieel and the cover, said brakecomprising a fixed coil and a moving ring, the ring bein carried by the turbine wheehand means orniing a housing for saidfixed coil. 9 3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a main .frame havinga bearing, a shaft in the bearing havingvan overhung end, a turbine wheel on such end, a cover for the wheel fastened to the main frame, a magnetic brake for'the turbine comprising coilslcarried by the cover and a ring carried by the turbine wheel, and means forming a housing for said coils. '4. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of a housing, a shaft therein, a turbine wheel on the shaft, a to the turbine wheel, anduno'lnmthro which steam is fed' toithe 'nozflpQ said Mans comprising a casing fixed directlytoitli'e housing, a steam separator thereiri,saidcasing having an orifice, in one of its walls, means carried by the casing and formin a passage connecting the orifice to the nozz ej and a pressure re.-

ducing valve in said passage controlled bythe steam pressure t erein for throttling the flow of steam to the nozzle.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a housing, a shaft'therein, a turbine wheel on the shaft, a nozzle for directing steam to the turbine wheel, and means through which steam is fed to the nozzle, said means eomprisinga casing fixed directly to the housing, a steam separator thereilifsaid' casing having an or'ifice in one d f 1'itsivalls, means 1 carried by the using and forming apassage connectin}! e orifice to the nozzle, a pressure reducing" valve in said passage, controlled by the steam pressure therein for, throttling the How of steam to the nozzle, and a pop-safety valve connected with said passage. j

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a turbine having a housing, of means through which elastic fluid is fed to the turbine comprising a casing, a separator therein, an extension on thecasing having a circular bore, a hollow lug which fits into the bore and has a passage therein which connects the separator with the interior of the plug, the connection with the separator being through a restricted 0rifice,-a pres-sure reducing valve in the scribed, the combination with a turbine havmg a. housing, of means through which elastic fluid is fed to the turbine comprising a' casing, a separator therein, an extension on the casing having a. circular bore, a hollow plug which fits into the bore and has a, passage therein which connects theseparator with the interior of the plug, the connection with the separator being through a restricted orifice, a ressure reducing valve in the interior of tie plug, means forming passages connecting the interim: of the plug beyond the reducing valve to the turbine casing, and a pop-safety valve carried by the extension. and in communication with the lastnamed passage.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a housing, a Shaft therein, a turbine wheel on the shaft, a nozzle for directing steam to the turbine wheel, and means through which steam is fed to the nozzle, said means comprising a casing fixed directly to the housing, a steam separator therein, an extension on the casing having a circular bore, a hollow plug which fits into the bore and has a passage therein which connects the separator with the interior of the plug, the connection with the separator being through a restricted orifice, a pressure reducing valve in the interiOr of the plug,- and means forming-passages connecting the interior of the plug beyond the reducing valve to the turbine casing.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of February, 1916. LOUIS G. LOEWVENSTEIN. 

